Electronic assembly comprising solderable thermal interface

ABSTRACT

To accommodate high power densities associated with high performance integrated circuits, heat is dissipated from a surface of a die through a solderable thermal interface to a lid or integrated heat spreader. In one embodiment, the die is mounted on an organic substrate using a C4 and land grid array arrangement. In order to maximize thermal dissipation from the die while minimizing warpage of the package when subjected to heat, due to the difference in thermal coefficients of expansion between the die and the organic substrate, a thermal interface is used that has a relatively low melting point in addition to a relatively high thermal conductivity. Methods of fabrication, as well as application of the package to an electronic assembly, an electronic system, and a data processing system, are also described.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to electronicspackaging. More particularly, the present invention relates to anelectronic assembly that includes an integrated circuit packagecomprising a solderable thermal interface between the integrated circuitand a heat spreader to dissipate heat generated in a high speedintegrated circuit, and to manufacturing methods related thereto.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Integrated circuits (ICs) are typically assembled into packages byphysically and electrically coupling them to a substrate made of organicor ceramic material. One or more IC packages can be physically andelectrically coupled to a printed circuit board (PCB) to form an“electronic assembly”. The “electronic assembly” can be part of an“electronic system”. An “electronic system” is broadly defined herein asany product comprising an “electronic assembly”. Examples of electronicsystems include computers (e.g., desktop, laptop, hand-held, server,etc.), wireless communications devices (e.g., cellular phones, cordlessphones, pagers, etc.), computer-related peripherals (e.g., printers,scanners, monitors, etc.), entertainment devices (e.g., televisions,radios, stereos, tape and compact disc players, video cassetterecorders, MP3 (Motion Picture Experts Group, Audio Layer 3) players,etc.), and the like.

In the field of electronic systems there is an incessant competitivepressure among manufacturers to drive the performance of their equipmentup while driving down production costs. This is particularly trueregarding the packaging of ICs on substrates, where each new generationof packaging must provide increased performance while generally beingsmaller or more compact in size. As the power demands of highperformance IC processors approach and even exceed 100 watts per chip,with localized power densities exceeding 200 watts/square centimeter,the heat dissipating capability of the IC package must correspondinglyincrease.

An IC substrate may comprise a number of metal layers selectivelypatterned to provide metal interconnect lines (referred to herein as“traces”), and one or more electronic components mounted on one or moresurfaces of the substrate. The electronic component or components arefunctionally connected to other elements of an electronic system througha hierarchy of electrically conductive paths that include the substratetraces. The substrate traces typically carry signals that aretransmitted between the electronic components, such as ICs, of thesystem. Some ICs have a relatively large number of input/output (I/O)terminals, as well as a large number of power and ground terminals.

One of the conventional methods for mounting an IC on a substrate iscalled “controlled collapse chip connect” (C4). In fabricating a C4package, the electrically conductive terminations or lands (generallyreferred to as “electrical contacts”) of an IC component are soldereddirectly to corresponding lands on the surface of the substrate usingreflowable solder bumps or balls. The C4 process is widely used becauseof its robustness and simplicity.

As the internal circuitry of ICs, such as processors, operates at higherand higher clock frequencies, and as ICs operate at higher and higherpower levels, the amount of heat generated by such IC's can increase tounacceptable levels.

For the reasons stated above, and for other reasons stated below whichwill become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading andunderstanding the present specification, there is a significant need inthe art for a method and apparatus for packaging an IC on a substratethat minimizes heat dissipation problems associated with high clockfrequencies and high power densities.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic system incorporating at leastone electronic assembly with a solderable thermal interface inaccordance with one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional representation of an integratedcircuit package, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional representation of a solderablethermal interface between a die and a lid or integrated heat spreader,in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a method of packaging a die, in accordancewith one embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description of embodiments of the invention,reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof,and in which is shown by way of illustration specific preferredembodiments in which the subject matter may be practiced. Theseembodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilledin the art to practice them, and it is to be understood that otherembodiments may be utilized and that logical, mechanical, and electricalchanges may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of thepresent disclosure. Such embodiments of the inventive subject matter maybe referred to, individually and/or collectively, herein by the term“invention” merely for convenience and without intending to voluntarilylimit the scope of this application to any single invention or inventiveconcept if more than one is in fact disclosed. The following detaileddescription is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and thescope of the present disclosure is defined only by the appended claims.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a solution to thermaldissipation problems that are associated with prior art packaging ofintegrated circuits that operate at high clock speeds and high powerlevels by employing a highly conductive solder material as a thermalinterface between an IC die and a heat spreader. Various embodiments areillustrated and described herein.

In one embodiment, an IC die is mounted to an organic land grid array(OLGA) substrate using C4 technology. An integrated heat spreader isattached to the back surface of the die using a highly conductivesolderable thermal interface material after suitable preparation of thedie and heat spreader surfaces. A solderable thermal interface materialis selected that has a relatively low melting point, in order tominimize thermal stresses in the package that can be generated, becausethe silicon die has a relatively low thermal coefficient of expansion(TCE) compared to the TCE of the OLGA substrate. By reducing thermalstresses, the package is less likely to experience warpage when it issubjected to heat, for example during solder reflow.

The solderable thermal interface material also has excellent thermalconductive properties. The integrated heat spreader can also be coupledto the OLGA substrate around the die periphery with a suitable sealantin order to provide mechanical strength.

In addition to the foregoing advantages, the use of a low melting pointsolder as a thermal interface material avoids many problems associatedwith the use of polymeric thermal interface materials (e.g. thosecontaining silver or aluminum), such as resin separation, out-gassing,delamination, pump-out, and so forth.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic system 1 incorporating atleast one electronic assembly 4 with a solderable thermal interface inaccordance with one embodiment of the invention. Electronic system 1 ismerely one example of an electronic system in which the present subjectmatter can be used. In this example, electronic system 1 comprises adata processing system that includes a system bus 2 to couple thevarious components of the system. System bus 2 provides communicationslinks among the various components of the electronic system 1 and can beimplemented as a single bus, as a combination of busses, or in any othersuitable manner.

Electronic assembly 4 is coupled to system bus 2. Electronic assembly 4can include any circuit or combination of circuits. In one embodiment,electronic assembly 4 includes a processor 6 which can be of any type.As used herein, “processor” means any type of computational circuit,such as but not limited to a microprocessor, a microcontroller, acomplex instruction set computing (CISC) microprocessor, a reducedinstruction set computing (RISC) microprocessor, a very long instructionword (VLIW) microprocessor, a graphics processor, a digital signalprocessor (DSP), or any other type of processor or processing circuit.

Other types of circuits that can be included in electronic assembly 4are a custom circuit, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC),or the like, such as, for example, one or more circuits (such as acommunications circuit 7) for use in wireless devices like cellulartelephones, pagers, portable computers, two-way radios, and similarelectronic systems. The IC can perform any other type of function.

Electronic system 1 can also include an external memory 10, which inturn can include one or more memory elements suitable to the particularapplication, such as a main memory 12 in the form of random accessmemory (RAM), one or more hard drives 14, and/or one or more drives thathandle removable media 16 such as floppy diskettes, compact disks (CDs),digital video disk (DVD), and the like.

Electronic system 1 can also include a display device 8, a speaker 9,and a keyboard and/or controller 20, which can include a mouse,trackball, game controller, voice-recognition device, or any otherdevice that permits a system user to input information into and receiveinformation from the electronic system 1.

FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional representation of an integratedcircuit (IC) package, in accordance with one embodiment of theinvention. The IC package comprises a die 50 mounted on an organic landgrid array (OLGA) substrate 54, and a lid or integrated head spreader(IHS) 52. While an OLGA substrate is shown, embodiments of the presentinvention are not limited to use with an OLGA substrate, and any othertype of substrate can be employed.

The IC package illustrated in FIG. 2 can form part of electronicassembly 4 shown in FIG. 1. Die 50 can be of any type. In oneembodiment, die 50 is a processor.

In FIG. 2, die 50 comprises a plurality of signal conductors (not shown)that terminate in pads on the bottom surface of die 50 (not shown).These pads can be coupled to corresponding lands 68 representing signal,power, or ground nodes on OLGA substrate 54 by appropriate connectionssuch as C4 solder bumps 66. A suitable underfill 62, such as an epoxymaterial, can be used to surround C4 solder bumps 66 to providemechanical stability and strength. Still referring to FIG. 2, lid or IHS52 forms a cover over die 50. IHS 52 is thermally coupled to a surfaceof die 50 through a suitable solderable thermal interface 60. Die 50 canthus dissipate a substantial amount of heat through thermal interface 60to IHS 52. The solderable thermal interface 60 comprises a material thatis capable of conducting heat at a relatively high rate, and that has arelatively low melting point to minimize thermal stresses in the packagewhen it is subjected to heat, for example during solder reflow.

IHS 52 can be mechanically supported by coupling its wall or supportmember 53 to the surface of OLGA substrate 54 through a suitable sealant64. In one embodiment, the wall or support member 53 is located at theperiphery of IHS 52. However, in other embodiments IHS 52 can extendbeyond the support member 53. For example, a heat spreader of any shapecan be formed as part of or attached to IHS 52, in order to increase therate of heat dissipation from die 50.

OLGA substrate 54 can be of any type, including a multi-layer substrate.OLGA substrate 54 can be mounted to an additional substrate 70, such asa printed circuit board (PCB) or card. OLGA substrate 54 can comprise,for example, a plurality of lands 57 that can be mechanically andelectrically coupled to corresponding lands 59 of substrate 70 bysuitable connectors such as ball grid array (BGA) solder balls 58.

While a BGA arrangement 56 is illustrated in FIG. 2 for coupling OLGAsubstrate 54 to substrate 70, embodiments of the present invention arelimited to use with a BGA arrangement, and they can be used with anyother type of packaging technology, e.g. land grid array (LGA), chipscale package (CSP), or the like. Further, embodiments of the presentinvention are not to be construed as limited to use in C4 packages, andthy can be used with any other type of IC package where theherein-described features of the present subject matter provide anadvantage.

The fabrication of an IC package comprising a solderable thermalinterface 60 will now be described.

Fabrication

In order to successfully fabricate an IC package with the advantagesdescribed above, it is important to have a die surface that is readilysolderable. It is also important to have an IHS that is readilysolderable. In addition, it is important to use a suitable soldermaterial. Further, it is important to utilize a suitable process forforming a reliable thermal interface between the die and the IHS. Eachof the above-mentioned factors will now be described in sufficientdetail to enable one of o skill in the art to understand and practicethe subject matter.

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional representation of a thermalinterface (also referred to herein as a thermally conductive element) 60between a die 50 and a lid or integrated heat spreader (IRS) 52, inaccordance with one embodiment of the invention.

For good solderability of the thermal interface 60 to the die 50,according to one embodiment of the invention, one or more metal layers82, 84, and 86 are deposited on the die surface that is to be coupledvia thermal interface 60 to the IHS 52. Before deposition of the one ormore metal layers 82, 84, and/or 86, the wafer surface can be preparedwith a sputter etch, if desired, to improve the adhesion of the adhesionlayer 82 to the die surface; however, a sputter etch is not essential.Nor is the condition of the wafer surface essential. The wafer surfacecan be in unpolished, polished, or back-ground form.

Next, an adhesion layer 82 of a metal that adheres well to silicon,silicon oxide, or silicon nitride, such as titanium (Ti), is depositedonto the etched surface. In one embodiment, a 500 Angstrom layer oftitanium is sputtered onto the etched surface. Chromium (Cr), vanadium(V), and possibly zirconium (Zr) could be substituted for Ti.

Next, a second metal layer 84, such as nickel-vanadium (NiV), isdeposited. In one embodiment, a 3500 Angstrom layer of NiV is sputteredonto the Ti layer. A purpose of layer 84 is to serve as a diffusionbarrier to prevent any reaction of solder in the thermal interface 60with the adhesion layer 82, which could result in possible delaminationof the thermal interface 60 from the die 50. Layer 84 is not necessarilyrequired, depending upon the composition of the adhesion layer 82, thesolder material in the thermal interface 60, and the thermal treatmentduring the reflow operation.

Next, a third metal layer 86, such as gold (Au), is deposited. In oneembodiment, a 600 Angstrom layer of Au is sputtered onto the NiV layer.Any metal that “wets” the chosen solder material in the thermalinterface 60 could be substituted for gold. Nickel is one example.

For good solderability of the thermal interface 60 to the lid or IHS 52,one or more metal or solderable organic layers 88 are deposited onto theappropriate surface of the IHS 52. In one embodiment, IHS 52 comprisescopper (Cu); in another embodiment IHS 52 comprisesaluminum-silicon-carbide (AlSiC). For an IHS 52 comprising either Cu orAlSiC, a 2-5 micron thick layer 88 of Ni is deposited on the lowersurface of IHS 52. Electroless Ni plating is carried out in a Niklad 767bath using a medium force solution. Any metal that “jets” the chosensolder material in the thermal interface 60 could be substituted fornickel. Gold is one example. A combination of metals or alloys couldalso be substituted for the single layer 88 shown in FIG. 3.

For a suitable solder material, any of the solder alloys, or acombination thereof, listed in Table 1 would be effective. All arecommercially available from Indium Corporation of America, Utica, N.Y.under the corresponding Indalloy® No. In one embodiment, the solder canbe integrated with a no-clean flux vehicle to form a solder paste withan 89% loading of the selected solder alloy.

TABLE 1 Thermal Conductivity Liquidus Solidus Watts/Meter IndalloyComposition (° C.) (° C.) ° C. No. 58% Bismuth (Bi)/42% 138 138 19 281Tin (Sn) 97% Indium (In)/3% 143 143 73 290 Silver (Ag) 80% In/15% Lead(Pb)/ 154 149 43 2 5% Ag 100% In 157 157 86 4

A suitable process for forming a reliable solderable thermal interfacebetween the die and the IHS will now be described. Solder paste is firstapplied to the back side of the die. Alternatively, the solder pastecould be applied to the surface of IHS 52 that faces the back side ofthe die. Then a suitable sealant (64, FIG. 2) is applied to the OLGAsubstrate 54 where the periphery or boundary of IHS 52 will make contactwhen it is positioned over the die 50. Next, the IHS 52 is placed, andan appropriate force can be applied, for example using a spring, to holdIHS 52 in position. The package is then put into a suitable heatingenvironment, such as a flow furnace, for solder reflow. In oneembodiment of the method, during solder reflow, the maximum zonetemperature in the furnace is maintained at liquidus of the soldermaterial +30° C., and the time above liquidus is approximately 60seconds. Following solder join of the thermal interface, the sealant atthe IHS boundary is cured in a conventional oven.

The above-described choice of materials, geometry, number of layers,etching, deposition, and assembly can all be varied by one of ordinaryskill in the art to optimize the thermal performance of the package.However, an unoptimized embodiment of the present invention has beendemonstrated to provide a substantial thermal margin for IC's operatingat high clock frequencies and high power levels, and without any adverseimpact on package reliability.

Any suitable method, or combination of different methods, for depositingthe metal layers can be used, such as sputtering, vapor, electrical,screening, stenciling, chemical including chemical vapor deposition(CVD), vacuum, and so forth.

The particular implementation of the IC package is very flexible interms of the orientation, size, number, and composition of itsconstituent elements. Various embodiments of the invention can beimplemented using various combinations of substrate technology, IHStechnology, thermal interface material, and sealant to achieve theadvantages of the present disclosure. The structure, including types ofmaterials used, dimensions, layout, geometry, and so forth, of the ICpackage can be built in a wide variety of embodiments, depending uponthe requirements of the electronic assembly of which it forms a part.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are merely representational and are not drawn to scale.Certain proportions thereof may be exaggerated, while others may beminimized. FIGS. 2 and 3 are intended to illustrate variousimplementations of the subject matter that can be understood andappropriately carried out by those of ordinary skill in the art.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a method of packaging a die, in accordancewith one embodiment of the invention. The method begins at 100.

In 101, at least one metal layer is formed on a surface of a die. In oneembodiment, as described above, individual layers of titanium,nickel-vanadium, and gold are successively deposited on the uppersurface of die 50 (FIG. 3). One or more alloys of these metals couldalso be used.

In 103, at least one metal layer is formed on a surface of the lid. Inone embodiment, as described above, a layer of nickel is deposited onthe lower surface of lid or IHS 52 (FIG. 3).

In 105, the die is mounted on a substrate. In one embodiment, asdescribed above, the substrate is an organic substrate, and the die isC4 mounted using a land grid array (LGA) arrangement. It is to be notedthat substrates comprising one or more organic materials, such asepoxies, acrylates, polyimides, polyurethanes, polysulfides, resin-glassweave (e.g. FR-4), nylons, and other similar materials, have arelatively high thermal coefficient of expansion compared with that ofthe die.

In 107, solder material having a relatively high thermal conductivityand a relatively low melting point is applied to the at least one metallayer of the die. In securing the IHS to the die, it is desirable toemploy a solder material having a relatively low melting point tominimize warpage problems when the package is subjected to heat. In oneembodiment, as described above, the solder material is any of thoselisted in Table 1; however, other solder materials besides those listedin Table 1 could be used, provided that they have the qualitiespreviously mentioned. Alternatively, the solder material could beapplied to the at least one metal layer on the surface of the lid. Thesolder material can be applied at any suitable stage in the fabricationprocess.

In 109, a suitable sealant is applied to the surface of the substratewhere the support member 53 (FIG. 2) of IHS 52 will contact it.

In 111, the IHS is placed and aligned so that the inner surface of theIHS contacts the layer of solder material and, concurrently, the supportmember 53 of IHS 52 contacts the sealant. A spring (not shown) is alsoplaced to secure the assembly with respect to an assembly carrier (notshown).

In 113, the solder material is melted or reflowed by heating so that,when it has cooled, the IHS 52 is physically and thermally coupled tothe upper surface of the top metal layer 86 (FIG. 3) on die 50.

In 115, the sealant is cured, for example, by heating, to providemechanical coupling of the assembly. Post cure, the securing spring isremoved from the assembly carrier. The method ends in 120.

The operations described above with respect to the methods illustratedin FIG. 4 can be performed in a different order from those describedherein. For example, it will be understood by those of ordinary skillthat 103 could be carried out prior to 101, that 107 could be carriedout prior to 105, and 109 could be carried out prior to 107.

The present subject matter provides for an electronic assembly andmethods of manufacture thereof that minimize thermal dissipationproblems associated with high power delivery. An electronic systemand/or data processing system that incorporates one or more electronicassemblies that utilize the present subject matter can handle therelatively high power densities associated with high performanceintegrated circuits, and such systems are therefore more commerciallyattractive.

As shown herein, the present subject matter can be implemented in anumber of different embodiments, including an assembly for a die, inintegrated circuit package, an electronic assembly, an electronicsystem, a data processing system, and a method for packaging anintegrated circuit. Other embodiments will be readily apparent to thoseof ordinary skill in the art. The elements, materials geometries,dimensions, and sequence of operations can all be varied to suitparticular packaging requirements.

Although specific embodiments have bees illustrate and described herein,it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that anyarrangement that is calculated to achieve the same purpose may besubstituted for the specific embodiment shown This application isintended to cover any adaptations or variations of the present subjectmatter. Therefore, it is manifestly intended that embodiments of thisinvention be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.

What is claimed is:
 1. An assembly comprising: a die having a surface;an adhesion layer of metal coupled to the surface; a solder-wettablelayer coupled to the adhesion layer; a lid; and a solderable thermallyconductive element to couple the lid to the solder-wettable layer. 2.The assembly recited in claim 1 wherein the lid comprises material fromthe group consisting of copper and aluminum-silicon-carbide.
 3. Theassembly recited in claim 1 wherein the solderable thermally conductiveelement comprises material, including one or more alloys, from the groupconsisting of tin, bismuth, silver, indium, and lead.
 4. The assemblyrecited in claim 1 wherein the lid comprises at least one metal ororganic layer to which the thermally conductive element can be coupled.5. The assembly recited in claim 4 wherein the at least one metal ororganic layer comprises nickel or gold.
 6. The assembly recited in claim1 and further comprising: a diffusion layer between the adhesion layerand the solder-wettable layer.
 7. The assembly recited in claim 6wherein the layers comprise material, including one or more alloys, fromthe group consisting of titanium, chromium, zirconium, nickel, vanadium,and gold.
 8. The assembly recited in claim 6 wherein the diffusion layercomprises material, including one or more alloys, from the groupconsisting of titanium, chromium, zirconium, nickel, vanadium, and gold.9. The assembly recited in claim 6 wherein the diffusion layer comprisesnickel-vanadium.
 10. The assembly recited in claim 1 wherein thesolderable thermally conductive element has a liquidus temperature of150 degrees Centigrade or less.
 11. The assembly recited in claim 1wherein the solderable thermally conductive element has a liquidustemperature of 140 degrees Centigrade or less.
 12. The assembly recitedin claim 1 wherein the solderable thermally conductive element has aliquidus temperature in the range of 138 to 157 degrees Centigrade. 13.The assembly recited in claim 1 wherein the adhesion layer comprisesmaterial, including one or more alloys, from the group consisting oftitanium, chromium, zirconium, nickel, vanadium, and gold.
 14. Theassembly recited in claim 1 wherein the adhesion layer comprisestitanium.
 15. The assembly recited in claim 1 wherein thesolder-wettable layer comprises material, including one or more alloys,from the group consisting of titanium, chromium, zirconium, nickel,vanadium, and gold.
 16. The assembly recited in claim 1 wherein thesolder-wettable layer comprises one of nickel and gold.
 17. Anintegrated circuit package comprising: a substrate; a die positioned ona surface of the substrate, the die having a back surface; an adhesionlayer of metal formed on the back surface; a solder-wettable layerformed on the adhesion layer; a lid positioned over the die; and asolderable thermally conductive element coupling the solder-wettablelayer and the lid.
 18. The integrated circuit package recited in claim17 wherein the lid comprises a support member coupled to the substrate.19. The integrated circuit package recited in claim 17 wherein the lidcomprises material from the group consisting of copper andaluminum-silicon-carbide.
 20. The integrated circuit package recited inclaim 17 wherein the lid comprises at least one metal or organic layerto which the thermally conductive element is coupled.
 21. The integratedcircuit package recited in claim 20 wherein the at least one metal ororganic layer comprises nickel or gold.
 22. The integrated circuitpackage recited in claim 17 wherein the solderable thermally conductiveelement comprises material, including one or more alloys, from the groupconsisting of tin, bismuth, silver, indium, and lead.
 23. The integratedcircuit package recited in claim 17 wherein the substrate is an organicsubstrate and wherein the die is coupled to the substrate through a landgrid array.
 24. The integrated circuit package recited in claim 17 andfurther comprising: a diffusion layer between the adhesion layer and thesolder-wettable layer.
 25. The integrated circuit package recited inclaim 24 wherein the layers comprise material, including one or morealloys, from the group consisting of titanium, chromium, zirconium,nickel, vanadium, and gold.
 26. The integrated circuit package recitedin claim 17 wherein the solderable thermally conductive element has aliquidus temperature in the range of 138 to 157 degrees Centigrade. 27.An electronic assembly comprising: at least one integrated circuitpackage comprising: a substrate; a die positioned on a surface of thesubstrate, the die having a back surface an adhesion layer of metalformed on the back surface; a solder-wettable layer formed on theadhesion layer; a lid positioned over the die; and a solderablethermally conductive element coupling the solder-wettable layer and thelid.
 28. The electronic assembly recited in claim 27 wherein the lidcomprises a support member coupled to the substrate.
 29. The electronicassembly recited in claim 27 wherein the solderable thermally conductiveelement comprises material, including one or more alloys, from the groupconsisting of tin, bismuth, silver, indium, and lead.
 30. The electronicassembly recited in claim 27 wherein the substrate is an organicsubstrate and wherein the die is coupled to the substrate through a landrid array.
 31. The electronic assembly recited in claim 27 and furthercomprising: a diffusion layer between the adhesion layer and thesolder-wettable layer.
 32. The electronic assembly recited in claim 31wherein the layers comprise material, including one or more alloys, fromthe group consisting of titanium, chromium. zirconium, nickel, vanadium,and gold.
 33. An electronic system comprising an electronic assemblyhaving at least one integrated circuit package comprising: a substrate;a die positioned on a surface of the substrate, the die having a backsurface; an adhesion layer of metal formed on the back surface; asolder-wettable layer formed on the adhesion layer, a lid positionedover the die; and a solderable thermally conductive element coupling thesolder-wettable layer and the lid.
 34. The electronic system recited inclaim 33 wherein the solderable thermally conductive element comprisesmaterial, including one or more alloys, from the group consisting oftin, bismuth, silver, indium, and lead.
 35. The electronic systemrecited in claim 33 wherein the substrate is an organic substrate,wherein the die is coupled to the substrate through a land grid array,and wherein the lid comprises a support member coupled to the substrate.36. The electronic system recited in claim 33 and further comprising: adiffusion layer between the adhesion layer and the solder-wettablelayer.
 37. The electronic system recited in claim 36 wherein the layerscomprise material, including one or more alloys, from the groupconsisting of titanium, chromium, zirconium, nickel, vanadium, and gold.38. An assembly comprising: a die having a surface; an adhesion layer ofmetal formed on the surface; and a solder-wettable layer formed on theadhesion layer to receive a solderable thermally conductive element. 39.The assembly recited in claim 38 wherein the adhesion layer comprisesmaterial, including one or more alloys, from the group consisting oftitanium, chromium, zirconium, nickel, vanadium, and gold.
 40. Theassembly recited in claim 38 wherein the adhesion layer comprisestitanium.
 41. The assembly recited in claim 38 wherein thesolder-wettable layer comprises material, including one or more alloys,from the group consisting of titanium, chromium, zirconium, nickel,vanadium, and gold.
 42. The assembly recited in claim 38 wherein thesolder-wettable layer comprises one of nickel and gold.
 43. The assemblyrecited in claim 38 wherein the solderable thermally conductive elementcomprises material, including one or more alloys, from the groupconsisting of tin, bismuth, silver, indium, and lead.
 44. The assemblyrecited in claim 38 wherein the solderable thermally conductive elementhas a liquidus temperature in the range of 138 to 157 degreesCentigrade.
 45. The assembly recited in claim 38 and further comprising:a diffusion layer formed between the adhesion layer and thesolder-wettable layer.
 46. The assembly recited in claim 45 wherein thediffusion layer comprises material, including one or more alloys, fromthe group consisting of titanium, chromium, zirconium, nickel, vanadium,and gold.
 47. The assembly recited in claim 45 wherein the diffusionlayer comprises nickel-vanadium.
 48. An assembly comprising: a diehaving a surface; an adhesion layer of metal coupled to the surface; asolder-wettable layer coupled to the adhesion layer; a lid; and athermal interface of solder material to couple the lid to thesolder-wettable layer.
 49. The assembly recited in claim 48 wherein thesolder material comprises material, including one or more alloys, fromthe group consisting of tin, bismuth, silver, indium, and lead.
 50. Theassembly recited in claim 48 wherein the solder material has a liquidustemperature of 150 degrees Centigrade or less.
 51. The assembly recitedin claim 48 wherein the solder material has a liquidus temperature of140 degrees Centigrade or less.
 52. The assembly recited in claim 48wherein the solder material has a liquidus temperature in the range of138 to 157 degrees Centigrade.